"What would you have done in his place?" inquired the Curé.
Amadeus shook his head, as he replied, "I really do not know; it was certainly a very puzzling situation."
"Not at all," replied Juliana, in a very decided tone; "I should the next day have said to my aunt, 'If you still choose to hinder me from going into the country, I shall remain here, and tell every one that it is because I am more reasonable than you are.'"
The Curé smiled. "That would have been very agreeable to her, indeed!" said Amadeus.
"Neither should I have wished it to be agreeable to her," replied Juliana.
"For my part," said Paul, "I would have written immediately to mamma, in Germany, to ask her permission to go next day to Monsieur Lebeau's."
Every one laughed at Paul's expedient, and the Curé continued his narrative.
THE RECONCILIATION.
Louis was left alone in his apartment, in a state of terrible agitation, and he passed nearly an hour in thinking only of his annoyance, and giving way to passion, without coming to any decision.
The last words of Marianne rang disagreeably in his ears. "It is useless to try," he repeated; "Is it, then, impossible to be reasonable?" and the idea displeased him; for he would rather have believed that it was impossible. He began to reperuse his mother's letter; but in his present disposition he several times stopped impatiently, for he felt as if his mother were there, giving him advice which he was unwilling to follow. Once he even threw the letter on the table in a passion; but suddenly recollected, that one day when he was vexed at some advice which his mother gave him, she said, "My dear Louis, are you displeased with my advice because it is bad, or because it is good?" and he acknowledged that people quarrel only with good advice, because it is that alone which one is obliged to follow.